“I am coming to feel that the people of ill will have used time much more effectively than the people of goodwill. We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the vitriolic words and actions of the bad people, but for the appalling silence of the good people. We must come to see that human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability………….We must use time creatively, and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right.”
Letter From Birmingham Jail, 1963 Martin Luther King Jr.
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As law enforcement professionals you lament the “appalling silence of the good people” on a regular basis. Why do the ‘good people’ not get on the six o’clock news and support the police? Why do the ‘good people’ stand by and do nothing when there is crime in their community?
What about the appalling silence of the good people in our profession? Since this is a blog on Excellence in Training I will focus on that specific element.
Why do the good trainers stand by and allow ‘trainers of ill will’ to abuse recruits in training. Why do good training managers stand by and do nothing and in doing so allow poor or dangerous training practices to take place. Why do good people in the profession allow bad training and bad training practices to continue.
Good training produces competent, confident and professional officers. Bad training conducted by ‘trainers of ill will’ produces officers who are not competent, not confident and potentially unprofessional.
What do I mean by ‘trainers of ill will’? Trainers who have let their ego get in the way of their mission. Trainers who have let the power of the position get to their head. Trainers who are too lazy to do their job effectively. Trainers who embarrass, belittle or demean students in class. Trainers who physically abuse recruits, because they can. Trainers who continually blame the students for not ‘getting it’ rather than look in the mirror and ask themselves, “What piece of this do I own?”
You know who they are. You have been in their classes or taught with them. You have heard the stories from the officers and from other trainers. If you are offended by this post, you may be one of them. As law enforcement trainer Tom Earnhardt used to say, “It only hurts if it outta”.
Let me say this. There are far more good and great trainers than there are ‘trainers of ill will’. However, they are out there and they are hurting the profession and I believe they are getting officers hurt in training and hurt and killed on the street.
You cannot stand by and allow this to continue. You must be the ones to embrace the words of Martin Luther King Jr. and realize “the time is always right to do right.”
I thank you and the profession thanks you.
Brian Willis
Excellence in Training is a philosophy. It is also a one day seminar and a four day professional development course designed specifically for law enforcement trainers. For a list of dates and locations for upcoming Excellence in Training Courses go to www.brianw260.sg-host.com and click on the Training Schedule Link.
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